


deserving

by nonbinaryezrabridger



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Gen, Glimmer is a good friend, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, don’t copy to other sites, fuck her, fuck that redemption shit she didn't deserve it, shadoweaver is an abusive mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24229312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonbinaryezrabridger/pseuds/nonbinaryezrabridger
Summary: Shadow Weaver is dead. Catra both loves her and hates her. Glimmer helps.
Relationships: Catra & Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 89





	deserving

**Author's Note:**

> okay so first of all fuck redeeming shadow weaver, second of all please let catra proccess her trauma im begging
> 
> tw for this story:
> 
> general discussion of child abuse, no graphic depictions

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Glimmer is walking through the halls of Bright Moon, basking in being home and safe, when she hears crashing noises. She’s instantly on alert, ready for a fight. She follows the sound to a room she recognizes as Catra’s. She knocks but there’s no reply and the sounds of destruction only get louder. Frightened and worried, Glimmer waves the door open. She takes in the detirus strewn across the floor and the claw marks on the wall with increasing worry. 

And there, smashing a vase full of flowers---which Adora has picked and placed there for her, no doubt---is the object of her concern: Catra. Glimmer can’t help but speak as the shards of the vase shower to the floor, mixed with water and mutilated flowers.

“Catra?”

At the sound of her voice, Catra spins around, a snarl on her face. Her eyes blaze as she screams:

“Get out!”

Glimmer is unphased. She spreads her hands appeasingly and asks:

“Is everything okay?”

Catra snatches a stuffed animal from her bed and throws it across the room.

“Do I look okay?!?”

Glimmer sighs; it was kind of a dumb question to ask. She tries again:

“Catra, please talk to me. If not me, then someone. Don't just stew in your room smashing things.”

Catra flattens her ears to her head and snarls:

“I don’t need your help!”

Glimmer smiles softly at her and tries:

“Look, I’m trying to be a better friend, just like you are. And being a good friend means not leaving someone alone when they’re hurting.”

Catra, somehow, goes even stiffer at that. Then slowly, she relaxes, shoulders drooping from where they were pulled up around her ears. She doesn’t look Glimmer in the eyes as she says:

“Fine.”

Glimmer shifts her weight to a slightly more comfortable standing position, settling in to listen. Catra keeps her head bowed as she asks:

“Did Adora tell you what happened with Shadow Weaver?”

Glimmer winces; Adora had been almost happy and proud when she told her, taking it as proof that Shadow Weaver wasn’t evil. Glimmer is not convinced. 

“Yes, she did.”

Catra is breathing raggedly, struggling to contain the urge to lash out again.

“She said...she was proud of me.”

Glimmer stays silent, unable to read Catra well enough to risk saying something. Catra continues without prompting:

“My whole life, she doesn’t have a single nice word to say to me, and suddenly she’s proud of me?”

Catra slams a hand down on the dresser and snarls, voice getting louder:

“She tortured me for years, while I was a child! A helpless, defenseless child!”

Glimmer chokes out:

“What she did to you was so wrong. You didn’t do anything to deserve it. The blame rests on her, not you.”

Catra finally meets Glimmer's eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. She gasps out:

“Why do I still love her then?”

Glimmer feels tears gathering in her eyes and she steps forwards as she says:

“Because she was your mother, and no matter how terrible she was, a kid wants to love and be loved by their mother. It isn’t wrong to still love her.”

Catra sniffs and wipes at her nose with the back of her hand.

“But at the same time I hate her. So much. She died for me and part of me feels she deserved it.”  
Glimmer feels her own hatred of Shadow Weaver boiling inside her as she says:

“You have a right to be angry and hate her. You get to decide how you feel about her, no one else.”

Catra breathes out slowly, some of the tension leaving her. She looks down for a long moment, staring at the floor, before looking back up at Glimmer. She whispers:

“Thank you, Glimmer.”

Glimmer can’t help but smile widely and say:

“What are friends for?”

Glimmer is turning away, preparing to leave, when she hears Catra ask in a quiet, vulnerable voice:

“Could I hug you?”

Glimmer spins around enthusiastically and half shouts:

“Really?”

There’s an embarrassed blush on ctara’s cheeks but she growls:

“Yes, really.”

Glimmer darts over and wraps her up in a giant hug, holding on until Catra taps her arm and asks to be let go. Then Glimmer takes a look around the room and asks:

“You want help cleaning up?”

Catra droops, looking ashamed and relieved at the same time.

“Yes, please.”

They begin to clean in a comfortable silence, Glimmer humming a lullaby softly.

\-------


End file.
